After finishing fourth overall in the San Francisco fleet racing championship, following the final of the match racing, Barker said: 'We sailed better, but we still need to better understand conditions in San Francisco.

'We have raced two regattas on the top-half of the 2013 America’s Cup course area and feel more comfortable. Our ‘local knowledge’ - San Francisco yachtsman - Dee smith was a massive help.

'When we move up here in May next year we still have to have some good-quality sailing on the bottom half of the longer America’s Cup course.'

Barker revealed that the team will ship its AC45 back to Auckland, as will Luna Rossa, 'We need to spend more time with it because while the America’s Cup will be all about the AC72, we still have to race the 45 well.'

Work starts on dismantling Emirates Team New Zealand’s AC45 and base for transporting back to New Zealand at the end of the America’s Cup World Series regatta in San Francisco.